Little White Lies
by SiriusMarauderFan
Summary: Petunia did what she had to do to keep Sirius out of Azkaban, now they just have to worry about raising their nephew with a little help from the family werewolf.
1. Necessary Evil

**Author's Note:** Written for:

Musical Chairs – Revolving Prompts Challenge. _Prompt:_ AU in which Harry is raised by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Sirius

Amateur Divination Game Challenge. _Prompt:_ someone lying to protect a friend

Open Category Competition 2. _Category:_ Fanon

**Little White Lies**

_chapter one_

Petunia stared down at the letter in her hands, trying to keep from screaming and waking the other occupants of the house. She eyed the baby sleeping on her couch and bit her lip.

The war was over. She should have been out celebrating with the rest of the Britain, but instead she felt like her world was crumbling. Her sister was dead and she knew what that meant.

Dumbledore had assured her that they were going to find Sirius Black. They would send him straight to Azkaban – they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't listen.

She hastily scribbled a reply to the headmaster and stuffed it in her pocket as she heard movement on the stairs. The next moment Sirius was poking his head through the door.

"Pet? It's five-thirty, why aren't you in bed?"

She shushed him roughly and pulled him back into the hall.

"Keep your voice down," she ordered, putting on her shoes.

"What's going on? Was that Harry on the couch?"

Petunia weighed her options. She couldn't lie to him – not completely.

"Dumbledore wrote," she started slowly. "Lily and James are gone. You-Know-Who … he's destroyed."

"What? I don't-"

"I'll explain when I get back," she promised, pulling on a jacket over her pajamas.

"Where are you going?"

"We're not exactly equipped to care for a toddler, in case you haven't noticed. Very rude of Dumbledore not to bring any supplies with him. I'm just running out to the store to pick up a few essentials. Shouldn't be too long. Watch Harry." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and headed for the door.

"Petunia, no." He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. "I have to go. I need to … James…" He stopped himself, releasing her arm and sinking to the floor. He leaned against the door to the cupboard under the stairs, staring at the ground.

Petunia mentally berated herself for her apparent insensitivity. She'd been so focused on her own grief and the need to protect Sirius that she hadn't considered that he'd lost a brother as much as she'd lost a sister.

She knelt down in front of him, cupping his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her.

"I need you to stay here with Harry. I know you're upset and angry – I am as well – but Harry needs us more than anything right now."

"Peter," he whispered, his voice breaking. Petunia shushed him.

"Dumbledore already knows about him. I don't know how. It's not your job to find him, Sirius." She stayed just long enough to hear Sirius promise to remain at home with Harry.

Of course, Dumbledore didn't really know about Peter – not yet. She'd explained it all and more in the letter she clutched tightly in her hand. Sirius would be angry with her for her deception, but he'd understand eventually. She had to keep him out of jail, and this was the only way she knew how.

**A/N:**

I kind of almost want to turn this into a multi-chap, but I don't have the time.

Review?

Updated: July 1st. Yes, a new chapter is coming! :)


	2. Unspoken Fears

**Author's Note:** oh hey look at that, I finally got around to updating this thing. It's only been six months! (so sorry, ohmygosh)

Thank you all so much for reviews and favoriting/following. You have no idea what it all means to me. I will be taking all of your comments to heart as I continue this story, so keep them coming! I'm not really sure where it's going yet, but I'm looking forward to writing.

(also) Written for the Harry Potter Re-raising Project.

This story is being beta'd by the awesome Emmeebee! :D

_chapter two_

_Unspoken Fears_

The five minutes it took Petunia to drive to the post office seemed to be the longest of her life. She cursed out every red light along the way, and then prayed and pleaded to every deity she could think of that her letter would reach Dumbledore in time.

The plaza was deserted when she finally arrived, still early by normal standards. Petunia parked right outside the post office, ignoring the parking laws, and drummed her fingers against the steering wheel until finally a boy her age arrived to start work.

She wrapped her jacket tight around her body self-consciously as she walked into the air conditioned store, regretting having left the house in her pajamas when the boy openly eyed her.

"I need to send this," she said, placing the hastily-written letter on the counter.

"You know, there are letterboxes you can use. You didn't have to wait for me to get here," he said, lazily flipping a page in a comic book he'd been reading.

"Please, it's an emergency. It's for Professor Dumbledore." Petunia looked around the storefront nervously, even though they were the only ones there.

The boy closed his comic but didn't seem to be in any rush to help her. He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not sure what you think you're doing, Miss, but-"

"I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore, please! My sister is – _was_ a witch. I know how this works." Despite her assurance, Petunia was beginning to think she'd made a horrible mistake.

This was how she had done it as a girl, though. While Lily was packing for her first year of school, Petunia had written a desperate letter to the headmaster and sent it through the letterbox as she would any other. No one had ever made a move to correct her in the years since.

Finally, the boy heaved a sigh and got up from his stool, picking up the letter. "Just a moment," he said and disappeared into the back. Petunia wondered if he had a fleet of owls hidden somewhere. He returned seconds later, sans letter. "It's done. Have a nice day."

Petunia felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she drove to the twenty-four-hour Tesco around the corner. She had to remind herself that the battle was only partially won. The letter would reach Dumbledore now, but would it be in time? He was searching for Sirius – her Sirius. They'd lock him up if they could. She wondered how much time she had before they came knocking on her door…

:-:

Sirius woke to a knocking sound.

He didn't remember dozing off. Sleep had been the farthest thing from his mind after hearing that his best friend had been murdered. Harry had woken after Petunia left, and thankfully the surprise of seeing his godfather had outweighed his need to know where his parents were. If only the questions could be so easily dodged forever.

He figured he must've fallen asleep during his attempt to get Harry to do the same. A look at the clock told him it was still far too early to be up, baby or no.

Another knock sounded at the door, reminding Sirius why he'd woken in the first place.

He readjusted Harry in his arms, holding the baby to his bare chest with one arm so he could unlock and open the door with the other. He expected Petunia to be on the other side. He was usually the forgetful one in the relationship, but he would forgive her a slip-up under the circumstances.

Yet, instead of his girlfriend, Sirius found a werewolf.

"Did you do it?" Remus asked. His voice was dangerously low, almost a growl.

Sirius was momentarily offended by the question. James had been more of a brother to him than Regulus; how could anyone think he'd betray them? His anger ebbed away quickly with the reminder that they had, in fact, been betrayed. By a close friend, no less. Until a few hours before, Sirius would have sworn Remus was the mole in the Order, so who was he to judge Remus' suspicions?

"I didn't," he said quietly, looking down at Harry. "I couldn't."

Remus nodded, visibly relaxing as he walked into the house.

"You're not going to question me further?" Sirius wondered, following his friend into the den.

"I very much doubt you would've returned to your muggle girlfriend's house after … what happened," Remus reasoned, giving him a half-smile.

"Well, you were always the clever one." Sirius returned to the armchair by the fireplace, careful not to jostle the baby. "Dumbledore wrote. He says they're going after Wormtail." He spat out the name.

"Good. Best to just let them handle this." Sirius noticed the way Remus' hands clenched, knuckles white, and wondered if he had the same desire to blast the rat past the point of recognition.

"How did you find me, anyway?" he asked suddenly, mostly to change the subject. "I've kept quiet about Petunia."

Remus smiled – a big, genuine smile that was so rare and friendly that it had Sirius smiling too. "You're not as subtle as you think you are. Also, James told me the last time I saw them. Neither of them seemed happy about the whole thing, actually."

Sirius scoffed. "Lily thought I was corrupting her, as if that's even possible with Pet."

"You're a bad influence."

"I am not!"

Harry stirred in his sleep and both men instantly went silent, watching as the boy fell into a deep sleep again. They shared a look.

"Petunia's got custody of him," Sirius explained.

"That's good. Probably better he's raised away from all the rumors. And Petunia will be able to answer his questions about Lily."

"Right, and I can fill him in on James, I guess, and the magical stuff." Sirius cleared his throat. "It would be nice, maybe, if he could have another uncle around to soften the transition. I mean, what family is complete without a furry little problem, eh?"

Remus rolled his eyes, smirking, but didn't answer. Despite the jokes, there was still an uneasiness to the room; unspoken fears and doubts that had loomed over them all for far too long.

"I'm sorry, Remus."

"Me too."

**A/N:**

I've been writing too much wolfstar lately, that ending came out vaguely slashy.

Anyway, like I said, I'm taking your comments seriously so feel free to give me suggestions for stuff you'd like to see happen in this. I have some plans, but definitely not enough to get me through.

Review? :)


	3. Responsibility

**Author's Note:** The marvelous Emmeebee brought to my attention the question of the post office Petunia went to in the last chapter. To avoid confusion, I thought I should clarify that the post office was, in fact, a muggle one. It's a canon fact that Petunia sent her letter to Dumbledore through muggle post and it still reached him, suggesting there are wizards hidden in the post office!

* * *

_chapter three_

_Responsibility_

Petunia was certain she'd never felt more out of place than she did when browsing the baby aisle. There had been brief moments since she'd begun dating Sirius in which she'd been utterly clueless: explaining how television worked, trying to remember the difference between a quaffle and bludger, even walking in on him unclogging a toilet with a wand. But strolling childless through an aisle filled with images of smiling babies was possibly the most uncomfortable thing she'd ever experienced.

There were only a handful of customers in the store but Petunia felt like every one of them were staring at her as she searched for some clothes in her nephew's size. She selected a t-shirt, trousers and a package of socks and moved on. It had already been over an hour since she had left the house and she worried about what Sirius might do if she stayed out any longer. She prayed having to look after Harry would keep him home where he was safe, but there was no telling what he would do when he got himself worked up.

She rushed through the rest of the aisle, tossing nappies and wipes and sippy cups into her trolley in quick succession. She'd only come for the basics; the rest could wait until later on, when she was properly dressed and had Sirius by her side.

Waiting in line at the register, she made a mental note to speak with Dumbledore about the state of the Potters' belongings. He hadn't said anything about their home, only that they'd been killed, and by who, and that it was up to Petunia to keep Harry safe. In all honesty, it seemed rather silly. She was a muggle; what did he expect her to do if someone attacked? She pushed that nauseating thought from her mind and returned to worrying about how much it was going to cost to provide for Harry. A personal assistant's salary might cover basic needs but it wouldn't be enough to furnish a nursery from scratch.

The line moved ahead and Petunia emptied her trolley robotically, still preoccupied by monetary concerns and the growing list of things she still needed to buy.

"That'll be £25.36," the cashier said in a cheery voice, startling Petunia.

She fished around in her jacket pocket for a few notes and slid them over the counter. It was only when the cashier handed her the change that Petunia looked at her, noticing her green eyes and reddish brown hair. Her mouth went dry and her heart skipped a beat, and she coughed a couple of times to cover the sob she felt forming in her throat.

She sat in her car for ten minutes, watching the sun rise over the store roof while she cried for her sister.

:-:

Sirius' motorbike was still in the drive when Petunia pulled up, instantly settling her nerves. He was more than capable of apparation and even stored a small jar of floo powder above Petunia's fridge, but the man never went anywhere without his motorbike.

Her second thought after seeing the bike was to wonder what the neighbors must think of her, seeing the bike parked there night after night. She didn't have long to worry about it before Sirius was running down the path and taking the grocery bags from the passenger seat.

"There's an owl for you," he said urgently, shutting the car door with his knee.

"An owl?" she echoed, following him into the house and hoping her eyes didn't give away her sadness.

"It won't let us take the letter, so it must be for you."

Petunia pursed her lips, trailing into the kitchen. She greeted Remus with a nod of the head while he fried an omelet with one hand and held onto a giggling Harry with the other.

There was an unfamiliar owl seated atop her kitchen table. The envelope underneath its talons had her name scrawled on it, and the owl flew to the windowsill when she reached for it.

"Who's it from?" Sirius asked, trying to read over her shoulder. She shooed him away, shielding the letter from view in case it exposed her lie that people weren't looking for him.

She skimmed the letter, anxious for information, and breathed a sigh of relief at the mention that Pettigrew was being looking for.

"It's Dumbledore. They haven't found Peter yet." The men shared a look, the meaning of which Petunia could only guess at, but she was just pleased that the real criminal was being searched for.

She read on, hoping for some clue as to what she was supposed to do about Harry. Perhaps she would be given access to her sister's bank account. James had had money, after all. Surely they would have wanted that to be used to help raise their son.

"I need to go into the Ministry as soon as possible to sign the adoption papers."

The next line had her stomach twisting again. She had thought that Sirius would be free now that Dumbledore knew the truth.

"They want you to go into the Ministry too," she told him. "For a hearing, to be sure you had nothing to do with … everything."

"It's just procedure. They probably don't really think Sirius did anything," Remus said confidently, expertly flipping the omelet. Petunia wasn't so sure.

Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders, no doubt sensing her worry. Her fears of him getting hurt had been a constant topic of conversation over the past year.

"I'll be fine," he murmured, brushing back the hair from her forehead and kissing her temple. "I'm always fine."

Petunia wanted to believe him more than anything. She wanted to hold onto the fairytale that magic could protect him and that nothing bad would ever happen so long as they were together, but the truth was that her sister had had magic too, and now she was dead.

That really only left one option. It made about as much sense as Harry being left in her care, but it was the only solution to an unbearable problem.

She would have to save Sirius herself.

* * *

**A/N:**

I'm not sure how much I like this chapter, but I suppose it needed to be done.

Thank you all so much for your reviews and feedback! It has been so helpful and I wish I could tell you the things I have planned for poor Pet and Siri and Remus! I have most major life-changing events planned up to when Harry's four or five.

Review!


	4. Proof (part 1)

**Author's Note:** A million and one thanks to Raybe for helping me to figure out what Petunia's plan is. :)

Oh hey look at that, I finally managed to get this beta'd before posting!

* * *

_chapter four_

_Proof (part 1)_

The newspaper came just as Petunia was sending off her reply to Dumbledore. A group of men in black hoods were featured prominently on the front. The photo sent chills down her spine and she ordered him to put the paper away, more out of fear of what it might reveal than for the images it brought to mind.

Breakfast was quiet. Petunia couldn't keep from fretting about the hearing, and Sirius and Remus seemed to be just as lost in thought. Even Harry, who usually chattered nonstop, stayed silent. He kept shooting worried glances around the room in between the bites of food the men took turns feeding him.

"We should get going," Sirius said when everyone had stopped picking at their food and instead pushed their half-full plates away. "They'll want me in as soon as possible, and I can take you with me to sign those papers while we're at it."

The thought of leaving him alone at the hearing made Petunia want to vomit but she nodded anyway.

"I bought some clothes for the baby. Go get him changed and get dressed. I'll be up in a minute," she told him as she brought their dishes to the sink.

She made sure to listen for his footsteps on the stairs before she turned to Remus.

"I need your help," she whispered, pulling him toward the back door. He didn't say a word, even as he was led outside.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm worried about Sirius' trial."

"I know," Remus sighed. "I am as well. But the hit wizards are searching for Peter-"

"Because I told them to look for him. I sent a letter to Dumbledore before I did the shopping; I told him that Peter was the Secret Keeper and that he's a … what do you call it? The shapeshifting thing?"

"An animagus."

"Yes. That." She glanced into the house to make sure Sirius wasn't eavesdropping. "Remus, I'm worried they don't believe me. I'm just a muggle. As soon as Sirius goes into that hearing, I won't be able to stop them from locking him up."

"I'm not sure what you want me to do."

Petunia let out a frustrated groan. "I don't know! We need some way to prove his innocence."

"Easier said than done. I wouldn't believe it myself if I didn't know him so well." Remus scrubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "We'd need Peter."

"Then we need to find him," Petunia decided. "Well, you do. Sirius can't know about this yet. My friend Yvonne doesn't live far from here. I'll give you her address and you can drop Harry off with her after Sirius and I leave."

"This isn't going to be like looking for a lost puppy. He could be anywhere."

"Please. If we don't do something … I can't let them send Sirius to prison for this."

Remus couldn't argue with that.

:-:

The Ministry wasn't as impressive as Petunia had anticipated. Everything was over the top and unnecessarily complicated, and she wasn't sure whether her headache was due to such little sleep or the unending chaos.

She was led first to the second floor, where Sirius was pulled into an interrogation room and she had to wait outside with a man who introduced himself as an auror.

"What's your business here, Miss…?" the man asked, leading her to a corner cubicle.

"Evans. I'm supposed to be signing some documents," Petunia answered vaguely. She wasn't sure how much she should tell them where her nephew was concerned, and she didn't appreciate being separated from Sirius.

"What sort of documents?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure that's any of your business."

"The problem, Miss Evans, is that you've entered the Ministry with a known felon. And, according to the visitor's office, you were without a wand. Is this true?"

Pursing her lips, Petunia watched the man scribble something on a notepad. "My boyfriend brought me here, yes. He's been wrongly accused of a crime and is only here to verify some facts. And no, I don't own a wand. I'm a muggle."

There was a hint of doubt in the auror's eyes as he studied her before going back to his notes.

"What's a muggle doing in the Ministry of Magic?"

"I already told you, I have some documents I need to sign. I was invited."

"By who?"

"Professor Albus Dumbledore."

The auror scoffed. "The Professor is not a member of the Ministry of Magic, nor is he qualified to invite you anywhere. If you're cleared of crimes against the wizarding community, you will be immediately escorted out of the building."

"I don't believe you're qualified to make that decision, Mr. Zimmerman."

Petunia looked to the doorway and the ancient wizard standing there in dusty rose robes.

"Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, at your service, Miss Evans," he said with a kind smile, taking Petunia's hand and gently pulling her from the cubicle. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. It's been an honor corresponding with you."

"T-Thank you, sir," she stuttered, staring at him in awe.

His smile fell as he turned back to the auror.

"Miss Evans is here to sign adoption papers. I will lead her to the office myself after Mr. Black's trial, which will be starting any moment now. We should be going, my dear. We don't want to be late."

Without any more warning, Dumbledore took Petunia's arm and escorted her back to the elevators.

"Shouldn't we wait for Sirius?" she asked as he ushered her inside an empty car.

"I passed by Mr. Black on my way to retrieve you. He was being taken down to the courtrooms, which is where we're headed."

They rode in silence for a few seconds before Petunia, unable to hold her tongue any longer, spoke. "You believe him, don't you?"

"Despite all the evidence against him, yes, I do. Unfortunately, I'm not the one he needs to convince."

"But it won't be difficult, will it? I mean, people would believe you."

"I'm afraid the Minister is going to need a bit more than the gut feeling of an old man, my dear."

The elevator stopped and Petunia's breath hitched as the doors opened to reveal her boyfriend in shackles.

* * *

**A/N:**

Question time! How would you feel about Remus being a main character in this as well as Pet and Siri (and obviously Harry)? There's a poll up on my profile for you to vote, or you can tell me in a review or pm if you have a lengthy answer.

Feedback is always welcome!


	5. Proof (part 2)

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll! It is now closed, with 7/8 of you wanting more Remus (not including all the reviews I got telling me to add him.) That's pretty awesome!

I apologize to the one person who wanted the story to focus solely on Pet and Siri. Fear not! They're still the main characters. Remus' story arch will be closely entwined with theirs for quite a while. :)

_chapter five_

_Proof (part 2)_

Dropping Harry off at Yvonne's proved to be one of the hardest things Remus had ever done. Yvonne was a sweet woman who didn't seem to have any problem with a complete stranger leaving a toddler in her care with nothing more than a vague note from her friend.

Despite Petunia's assurances that Yvonne would be able to look after Harry for a few hours, Remus found himself wandering up and down the street for fifteen minutes, debating whether or not to go back and collect his nephew.

There were warning alarms going off in his head, telling him that Harry could still be in danger. He put these to rest with a discreet check of the neighborhood, but still had trouble going too far.

"You're being silly," he told himself, glancing back at the house once more. "You need to find Peter. Save Sirius, then you can worry about Harry."

The plan did little to put his mind at ease, but he determinedly left Little Whinging behind and apparated to the tiny house he knew to be the Pettigrew home.

Peter's mother was as welcoming as ever, inviting Remus inside and offering him tea and biscuits just as she had when Peter had invited him over as a boy.

He declined the offer, watching the old witch closely as she shuffled to an arm chair by the blazing fireplace.

"Have you seen Peter recently? We haven't seen him for days and I'm getting concerned about him," he said. The ease with which the lies rolled off his tongue since joining the Order scared him a bit.

The woman scoffed. "The boy hasn't been to see me since June, and then only to get things from his old room. I wouldn't waste your time worrying about that one. He'll come around when he's good and ready."

"Then you don't have any idea where he could be?"

"He's just like his father, running off and doing what he likes without a care for others. For all I know, he could be halfway around the world. It won't make any difference, you going after him. You won't find him unless he wants you to."

Her advice stuck with Remus after he left. It replayed over and over in his mind as he searched through Peter's flat for clues.

"Always was a good hider," he muttered, riffling through stacks of papers covering every inch of table surface in the man's home.

Peter's size hadn't given him much of a chance in running from bullies when they were young, but he was the smallest animagus and that gave him quite the advantage. Often it would be left to him to sneak into professors' offices or the faculty room; places where he could easily hide in plain sight.

It was that thought that had Remus apparating to Hogsmeade and running through the crowds of celebrating wizards until he reached the Shrieking Shack.

He hadn't been to the shack in four years but it looked the same as he remembered it. It was still gloomy and decrepit from the outside, and he expected it would look just as bad on the inside after so much time spent unoccupied.

Remus removed the boards from the door with a simple wood-splitting charm and kept his wand up as he moved through the house silently. He scowled at the footprints on the dusty floors. He tracked them through the downstairs, finding it devoid of human life, and then moved upstairs.

There wasn't anything in the shack that Remus would consider salvageable. Even before he started spending the full moon in the place, everything was old and splintered. Add claws and sharp teeth to the mix and there was hardly anything recognizable as furniture anymore. Perhaps that was why it came as an even bigger shock to find Peter sprawled out and snoring loudly on what had once been a bed.

Remus stood over him, watching the rise and fall of his chest and aiming his wand at it.

It would've been so easy to end it all then. Friendship be damned, this was the man who had betrayed them all. He killed James and Lily; he orphaned Harry. Remus had once prided himself on his ability to see passed a person's mistakes and to forgive quickly, but he couldn't imagine ever seeing Peter for anything other than a murderer ever again.

Peter woke just as the incantation was forming on Remus' lips. He didn't scream, or move. He stared wide-eyed at Remus at the minutes ticked on.

:-:

Petunia tapped her foot impatiently as she watched Sirius being interrogated by a group of wizards in silly violet robes. Dumbledore sat beside her in the stands, squeezing her hand whenever a new question was asked.

To his credit, Sirius somehow managed to keep his cool despite the insulting questions, like whether he and James had ever fought or if he had something against Lily for being muggle-born.

Petunia kept eying the clock, wondering what was keeping Remus and praying that he had found something to save Sirius.

The Minister, a middle-aged witch who had been introduced as Millicent Bagnold, was hard to read throughout the entire trial. When she stood up to address the courtroom after the long series of questions, Petunia was just as lost about whether Sirius would be okay, and Dumbledore silence wasn't helping.

"Mr. Black, while I appreciate your coming into the Ministry on your own, you must understand that this is a difficult time for us all," the Minister said. "The question of your innocence is not simply a matter of interpreting your answers, but also a question of the abilities of the Dark Lord.

"I wish there was more proof to say with absolute certainty whether or not you are guilty of handing the Potters' location to the Dark Lord, but at the end of the day-"

The Minister was interrupted by the courtroom doors banging open.

Petunia couldn't hide her grin as she watched Remus and Peter being escorted in by a team of beefy men.

"Madam Minister, I call for a recess to allow for a new suspect to be questioned."


	6. Legally

_chapter six_

_Legally_

The Minister and the twenty-seven presiding members of the Wizengamot met in private with Peter for forty minutes before Sirius was called in to speak with them. Petunia and Dumbledore were made to wait outside with no indication as to what was happening inside.

Remus joined them after a while, shaky and quiet. Petunia kept hoping he would open up about how or where he'd caught Peter and what he'd told the aurors, but she knew not to push him. She could only imagine how difficult it must have been to have the traitor within his grasp. Had it been her alone with her sister's murderer, the rat wouldn't have survived.

It was well over an hour before they were allowed back inside the courtroom. Peter and Sirius were both strapped to chairs in the center of the room. With Remus and the professor on either side of her, Petunia felt herself being led to a seat while her eyes remained glued to her boyfriend. She could see his lips moving as though he were yelling something, though he was turned slightly away from her, glaring at Peter.

"It's a silencing charm," Remus whispered to her.

She turn to him to ask about the charm when she noticed another spectator in the courtroom stands. A blonde woman, not much older than them, sat at the end of their row, writing in a notepad.

"Who's she?" Petunia asked instead.

"Skeeter," Remus huffed, eying the woman wearily. "She's a reporter for the _Prophet_. Not the sort of person we want writing about Sirius."

The Minister was making her way to the podium before they had a chance to say any more.

"In light of the evidence provided by the two defendants, it is the opinion of this court that Peter Pettigrew is guilty of assisting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in locating the Potter family and, by extension, murdering them. Mr. Pettigrew is therefore sentenced to life in Azkaban prison. It would seem you're once more a free man, Mr. Black."

Petunia let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and stood with the rest of the courtroom as the men were released from their chairs. Sirius had to be restrained by a pair of aurors while Peter was escorted from the courtroom. When the rat was gone, Sirius was let go and allowed to rejoin Petunia and the others.

"Thank God that's over with," Petunia murmured, latching onto Sirius once they were together again.

"Where did you find him?" Sirius asked Remus once they were outside the courtroom.

"In the shack," Remus replied through gritted teeth.

Dumbledore had made his way to the elevators and beckoned for them to follow.

"Where are we going?" Sirius wondered, watching as the floor levels ticked down.

"Level five. Petunia has an appointment in the Office of Law to sign Harry's adoption papers."

Petunia allowed herself to be pulled through corridors to a cramped office labelled _Guardianship_. She did as Dumbledore asked of her, signing at least a dozen forms as fast as she could while answering any questions the counselor had for her, despite a prejudice that rivaled that of the auror she'd dealt with earlier in the day.

"This is highly unusual," the woman said, reviewing the set of documents Petunia had just finished with. "A muggle has never been known to adopt a magical child."

"Though not illegal," Dumbledore interjected.

"No. But there is a question of the child's wellbeing. Muggles are notoriously dismissive of our abilities and customs."

"That won't happen," Sirius said, stepping up beside his girlfriend. "I'll be raising Harry as well. He's my godson."

"Can he sign the adoption papers too?" Petunia asked. Lily and James had made it clear from the moment of Harry's birth that they wanted both Petunia and Sirius to be responsible for the baby should anything happen to them. And that suited Petunia just fine. There wasn't anyone she'd rather spend the next seventeen years with.

"The decision is yours," Dumbledore told her. She quickly slid the documents Sirius' way and he got to work signing his name beside hers.

"There are still concerns," the counselor continued. "Where will the child be living? Will he be provided for? The guardian's residence must be inspected and approved. For the first year after adoption there will be weekly visits from a Ministry official to ensure that the child is being cared for."

Petunia looked to Dumbledore for assurance. He didn't look pleased, but his eyes were twinkling.

"As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I don't think any of that will be necessary."

The witch seemed dumbfounded for a moment before she composed herself and smiled at the headmaster.

"Very well, sir. Once I sign these documents, Mr. Black and Ms. …" She down at the form to find Petunia's name. "And Ms. Evans will be the legal guardians of Harry James Potter. If either of you have any questions or second-thoughts, now is the time to bring them up."

Sirius took Petunia's hand and squeezed it. "I'm sure," he said.

"So am I," she agreed.

The witch nodded, adding her name to the forms with a flourish. "Congratulations, you're parents."

Back in the safety of the elevator, Petunia leaned against the wall and let out a relieved sigh, glad to finally be getting away from the madness of the Ministry.

"Don't worry about the things she listed," Dumbledore told her. "I'll speak with her tomorrow and sort everything out."

"I can't believe the way she acted toward Petunia," Sirius fumed, tapping his foot.

"Look on the bright side, it's all over with. You and Petunia can go home and be with Harry and … a shower."

"I already showered."

"No. I should throw you guys a baby shower. Might surprise everyone with Harry being, you know, already born. But I think we can pull it off."

It was a bad attempt at humor, but it made Sirius smile anyway – the first genuine smile Petunia had seen on him all day. She'd never been more grateful that he had a friend like Remus.


End file.
